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Serious games are games which serve a purpose greater than raw entertainment. These are games which are not only fun to play but also help convey a message about our world, its problems, and possible solutions. Perhaps the term "games that are fun but support a great cause" is a better way to phrase it, though it gets a bit long. No matter what we call them, let's just call them important.

"Game thinking" about real issues can motivate like nothing else. There is a lack of such thinking in applications, and it stems from the fact that serious and fun is somehow counter-intuitive to many folks wanting to tap games for their cause. Jane McGonigal, world-renowned game designer and researcher, a recent speaker at TED, suggests that gaming can change the world. At HiDef, we share the very same sentiment. We believe we can “game our way” to a better real world, a better future, recognizing games to be an increasingly powerful way to educate, to advocate, and to reach people. However, more “good” serious games are needed, and this is because of the special skills game players possess and cultivate. Let's take a look at just five.

1. Concentration

Gaming requires intense focus on the problem at hand. Whether it’s a puzzle that needs to be solved, or an enemy boss that needs to be vanquished, the player needs to think of the best strategy to achieve victory. With this focused mind, such energy can be channeled and used to solve a serious problem.

2. Determination

In a good game, the player won’t quit simply because he or she failed to achieve an objective; players keep trying until they emerge victorious, and failure is not an option. Isn't this the skill that we want people to have in the real world?

3. Dedication

Sony PlayStation Trophies

Gamers are hard workers. Gamers would rather spend their free time saving the virtual world than sitting back and relaxing. The reason? In these games they receive constant feedback, rewarded for exceptional deeds in the form of badges or achievements, such as Sony's trophies, and having their online profile updated for showing-off. This dedication keeps them moving forward, always wanting more and striving for the next challenge thrown at them. Real world issues should be framed around this concept of flow to keep people engaged and motivated to contribute.

4. Collaboration

Social networking plays an important role in bringing people together to solve a common problem. Online games create strong bonds between players as they unite for a common goal, and even though they can be complete strangers, they end up trusting one another with their time and effort. Such trust is exactly what we want in our classrooms and workplaces, extending across culture and background.

5. Responsibility

"With great power comes great responsibility," and this is how players feel in their virtual worlds, they feel they can accomplish anything they set their minds to. There is no room for failure, and in some games, every single action decides the fate of the characters they control. It is not only a fairy tale where the bad guys lose in the end, but there is room for failure on the player’s part. The only difference is that in the real world people feel they are not good enough if they fail. Virtual worlds and fun games that have serious implications are a safe way to experience real failure on the path toward learning social responsibility.

The Final Word

It is for these reasons that serious gaming can indeed make a better world. Even if some players are not achieving remarkable things in the real world, chances are they do in virtual worlds, and bringing in the serious element to casual games, without neglecting the “fun” factor, can make a huge difference when it comes to the current problems of our world. The creation of such games is by no means an easy task; players need to be engaged in the game, and a simple fact-filled serious game about our world problems won’t make it.

Have you thought about how your great cause could be using "game thinking" to serious ends?